(19)
(11) EP 0 490 171 A3

(12) EUROPEAN PATENT APPLICATION

(88) Date of publication A3:
30.12.1992 Bulletin 1992/53

(43) Date of publication A2:
17.06.1992 Bulletin 1992/25

(21) Application number: 91120328.9

(22) Date of filing: 27.11.1991
(51) International Patent Classification (IPC)5: G02F 1/1335, H04N 9/31, G02B 3/00
(84) Designated Contracting States:
DE FR GB IT NL

(30) Priority: 28.11.1990 JP 322457/90
28.11.1990 JP 322458/90
27.12.1990 JP 415012/90

(71) Applicant: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
Tokyo (JP)

(72) Inventors:
  • Minoura, Nobuo, c/o Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Ohta-ku, Tokyo 146 (JP)
  • Suzuki, Hidetoshi, c/o Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Ohta-ku, Tokyo 146 (JP)
  • Kurematsu, Katsumi, c/o Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Ohta-ku, Tokyo 146 (JP)
  • Yoshinaga, Kazuo, c/o Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Ohta-ku, Tokyo 146 (JP)
  • Mitsutake, Hideaki, c/o Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Ohta-ku, Tokyo 146 (JP)

(74) Representative: Tiedtke, Harro, Dipl.-Ing. et al
Patentanwaltsbüro Tiedtke-Bühling-Kinne & Partner Bavariaring 4
80336 München
80336 München (DE)


(56) References cited: : 
   
       


    (54) Scattering type liquid crystal device


    (57) A liquid crystal device for controlling scattering of light beams made incident upon a plurality of portions of a liquid crystal layer (4) thereof so as to modulate the light beams, the liquid crystal device including: a first lens array (2a) having lenses disposed to correspond to the portions of the liquid crystal layer, the lenses causing the light beams transmitted from the corresponding portions of the liquid crystal layer to travel toward a focal plane; a mask (6) for shielding scattered light transmitted from the first lens array and as well as allowing non-scattered light to pass through, the mask having a plurality of aperture portions which are formed along the focal plane to correspond to the lenses of the first lens array so as to allow non-scattered light transmitted from corresponding lenses to pass through; and a second lens array (3a) having lenses arranged to correspond to the aperture portions of the mask, the lenses substantially collimating the non-scattered light transmitted from corresponding aperture portions of the mask.






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